


my world, my sun

by kireinayuta



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Boyfriends, Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, Falling In Love, First Meetings, Fluff, Getting Together, Implied Sexual Content, Insecurity, Kissing, M/M, Meet-Cute, Self-Indulgent, Strangers to Lovers, a lot of fluff, like so much fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-26
Updated: 2020-03-26
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:15:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23323042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kireinayuta/pseuds/kireinayuta
Summary: Jeno believes that if humans didn’t interfere with the things going on in their lives, everything will play out the way it’s meant to be.He decides to test it out on Jaemin.
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee, Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin
Comments: 10
Kudos: 265





	my world, my sun

He's the boy who's always reading a book. 

That's all Jeno knows about him. Oh, and that his hair is pink, a pretty pastel  
shade, but that's not that important to him. Sort of. Okay, it was really pretty but that wasn’t the point. 

He's the customer who sits at the round table in the corner of the store, the one with two chairs. He always puts his bad on the chair next to him, and sits down on the other one. He reads book after book after book, seeming to never get tired. His expression follows whatever he's reading; happy, sad, angry and everything else the characters feel. Sometimes he also whips out some homework, sometimes reading articles, sometimes highlighting pages after pages of what seem like notes, and sometimes taking notes. 

That's all Jeno knows about him.

He's interesting, from what Jeno can see. He has a work ethic, that's all Jeno knows about him. 

"Ask for his damn name Jeno— Are you that pathetic?" His coworker, Renjun, never really seemed like he liked Jeno. His statement just proved it for him.

"That'd be weird."

"You are weird. There's no loss here." Renjun justifies, whipping Jeno with rag he was using to wipe down their espresso machines. "Just make it casual. Ask if he wants anything else. A loaf. A refill. You work here." 

And Jeno guesses Renjun is right, but he's still really shy and that boy is really pretty and looks like he could crush Jeno's gay heart if he wanted to. But now that he thinks about it, he'd probably like someone as breathtaking as him to crush his heart. His heart better go with a bang.

He's ridiculous, is the bottom line. He also hates Renjun, which is why he wouldn't give the latter the satisfaction of calling Jeno pathetic. And even if Jeno is in fact pathetic, Renjun didn't need to know that. 

So he saunters out of the kitchen with a false sense of confidence, knowing he'll falter once he's within close enough proximity of the very attractive boy. 

Which he does.

No surprise there. 

Jeno belatedly realizes that he's staring at the customer with wide eyes, as if taken aback by the beauty of the boy up close. And he is, honestly. He hasn't seen someone look as ethereal as the boy before him, with hair as fluffy, features as dainty and eyes as wide. 

And that's when Jeno realizes that the customer is staring at him with wide eyes. 

He's probably so creeped out. 

Jeno can feel the heat crawl up his neck.

"R-Refill!" He ends up squawking out. He thinks he can hear Renjun guffaw at his lack of elegance from somewhere behind him, but chooses to ignore it. 

At his outburst, the boy in front of him flinches, and Jeno once again, belatedly realizes that he shouldn't have done that. 

"I mean," he starts again, clearing his throat and straightening his back. So much for first impressions. "Would you like a refill? Or maybe a loaf?" He repeats, this time more articulate and actually in control of his own tone. He mentally gives himself a pat on the back for that, and then realizes how pathetic he is for doing that.

Whatever. 

"I'm okay." The customer ends up saying gently, and oh my God, Jeno almost melts at how his voice is as perfect as the rest of him. It's deep but soft and everything Jeno wants to hear for the rest of his life. 

Or maybe that's too much. He doesn't know. All he knows is that he internally cringes at himself for having these thoughts. 

"I'm Jeno." Is the next thing Jeno blurts out, seeming to ignore the way the boy doesn't even look at him. Maybe Jeno should actually pay attention to the social cues around him instead of how adorable the boy looked in a yellow sweater. 

"Oh." The boy simply says, looking around everywhere except for at Jeno. 

Jeno thinks he might be making the other boy uncomfortable, what with his weird approach and just standing there frozen above him as he continues speaking. He's about to apologize, back off and do the walk of shame back into the kitchen where he knows Renjun will cackle at him, but then the customer is clearing their throat, and looking up at him. 

"I'm Jaemin." 

And Jeno wants to melt right then and there, because even his name is adorable. 

Jaemin. It sits so pretty in Jeno's mind. 

Jaemin.

God, Jaemin suits him so well. 

"Jaemin," he lets out, testing the way it sounds on his tongue. Jeno thinks he's dramatic when he concludes that it rolls of his tongue like butter. 

"Um," Jaemin mumbles, looking behind Jeno hesitantly and then back at the boy who's still staring at him. "Is that your coworker? I think he's calling for you." 

Jeno curses Renjun in his head, none of their coworkers would be working this hard to ruin his chances with a pretty boy. So he closes his eyes, sighs a little and curses Renjun in his head, before opening his eyes again and sending Jaemin a smile which he hopes is delicate. 

"I better get back. I'll see you around though?" 

Jeno doesn't want to reveal that he's already been seeing Jaemin around, which is what sparked his interest in the first place. 

Jaemin doesn't say anything, simply looks at Renjun again over Jeno's shoulder. 

He'll let it slip this time. 

——

The next time Jeno sees Jaemin, it's during his next shift. It's two days later, but Jaemin is sitting at the same table, reading a different book. Everything else about his setup, however, remains the same. Jeno guesses that Jaemin likes habits. 

"Renjun!" Jeno hisses, immediately cornering Renjun by the bags of coffee beans when the latter walks into the kitchen. "What's Jaemin's order?" 

Renjun looks unimpressed. 

Jeno still think he hates him. 

"Why should I tell you?" Renjun taunts, pushing past Jeno and making his way to the storage room. 

"Because I took your shift last week?" He tries, smile faltering at the way Renjun rolls his eyes. 

"You know you could just be the one to take his order next time." The other boy says, grabbing a stack of unopened coffee cups. "It'd be a lot easier than bribing me for information."

Jeno didn't say anything bribing, but with the way Renjun is raising his eyebrows suggestively, Jeno knows what he has to do.

"How long?" He ends up sighing, already regretting the words leaving his mouth. Renjun pretends to think about it, Jeno knows it's just to irk him. 

"One month?" He suggests, already walking away. 

"One month? Are you kidding?" Jeno groans, tailing behind Renjun like a kicked puppy. Which he is. Renjun just asked him to take his closing shift for the next month. 

"You're the one who's desperate for Jaemin's coffee order. And I'm desperate for some sleep," he shrugs. "Take it or leave it, Lee."

Jeno has no choice, since he wasn't about to exploit his interest in Jaemin to anyone else amongst the staff. And he most definitely didn't want the manager, Taeil, to find out. He'd tease Jeno to the ends of the Earth, and he doesn't know if he can handle that from Renjun and Taeil. 

So he relents, reminds himself that Jaemin's pretty smile and honey voice is worth it, and agrees to signing away his sleep schedule for the next month. 

God, the things he does for pretty boys.

"Fine." He grumbles, clearly disappointed in how he agreed.

"Nice. It's an americano with eight shots of espresso to replace the water."

Jeno feels his jaw drop. 

"What?" He shrieks, eyes bulging out of his sockets at the revelation of the beverage. He can feel his internal organs failing at the mere description of the beverage. "Everyday?"

"Every single day," Renjun nods, going back to the till, where a customer awaits him. "Now go do whatever freak shit you want with that information." As easy as that, Renjun puts on a smile for the customer and leaves Jeno still processing the fact that Jaemin drinks that every single time he's at the café. Which is every single day. 

Damn, he must be made of steel or something. 

Nonetheless, Jeno thinks about what could possibly go well with the sheer amount of espresso in Jaemin's cup. His thoughts settle on something sweet, something on the sugary side to take away from the intense bitterness of the coffee. The more Jeno thinks about his drink, the more he realizes his teeth care routine must be ridiculous, because last time he looked at Jaemin's smile, his teeth were perfectly white and shiny. 

As he places a vanilla cupcake with a strawberry on top onto a plate, he wonders if there's anything Jaemin can't do. 

And as he walks outside of the kitchen and to Jaemin's regular table, seeing him sketch a beautiful cityscape, he settles on the fact that Jaemin can, in fact, do anything. 

"Hi Jaemin!" Jeno greets, startling the boy. Jeno can tell by the way he jumps. 

"Oh." Jaemin says blankly, as if processing that Jeno was here, in front of him, talking to him. Which he was, but Jeno didn't need to know that. "Hi Jeno." He smiles a tiny bit, and even though it's just a bit of the smile that for now Jaemin keeps hidden, Jeno feels it lighten up his mood. 

"I brought you a cupcake," Jeno announces, sliding the plate over to him. 

Jaemin's eyes widen at the gesture. 

"I-I didn't order a cupcake—" He stumbles over his words, flustered at Jeno's gracious action. 

"I know," the worker giggles, smiling cute with his eyes turning into crescents. If Jaemin decides on the fact that he wants to see more of that, he doesn't let it show. "Don't worry about it. It's from me." He nods, seeming proud of himself. Jaemin thinks it's a tad cute. 

Even after hearing Jeno's somewhat of an explanation, he still simply stares at the cupcake, facial expression neutral. With the way the silence grows between them. Jeno can't tell if he should just go back to the kitchen and wallow in embarrassment, or continue to stare at the boy with hope in his eyes. Either option is pathetic, so Jeno decides to wait it out. 

"Why?" Jaemin finally ends up asking, finally looking up at Jeno's face. He seems a bit hesitant asking the question, if the way the corners of his lips are downturned is anything to go by. 

"Just cause," Jeno shrugs easily, wanting Jaemin to know that there wasn't anything except interest and kindness behind his actions. "Besides, my coworker told me about your... Um, death drink?" Jeno chuckles, motioning towards Jaemin's half empty cup with his head. "And I thought some sweetness wouldn't hurt. Sorry if I offended you." Jeno adds, afraid he might've come off too strong or scared Jaemin off. Even worse, creeped him out. 

Once again, it's quiet between them as Jaemin stares at Jeno, as if deciphering if there was more behind his words. Finally though, the other looks back down at the cupcake, and finally cracks out another small smile. Jeno's heart is too weak for this.

"Thank you Jeno." He ends up saying, sounding grateful. "I'll enjoy it."

Jeno beams, content with Jaemin's answer, and heads back into the kitchen, not without sending Jaemin one last smile. 

He hopes that this means conversation will flow easier between them now; Jeno hopes to get a word or two out each time he sees Jaemin in the café. 

He can only hope Jaemin feels the same way.

——

The next time Jeno sees Jaemin, it's when he's covering one of Renjun's closing shifts. 

He's surprised to see that Jaemin is still here, since normally Jeno leaves the café by 5:00pm, never really staying later. But now that he thinks about it, he also never really saw Jaemin leave before he did, so he didn't really know how long it was until he did finally leave. 

Nonetheless, Jeno isn't complaining, glad to see Jaemin again for another time this week. If he's being honest, the highlights of his week have gone from Wednesday's, where he only has two classes, to any time he has a shift at work. Seeing Jaemin makes Jeno smile brighter than he does given any other circumstance, and the feeling of warmth that bubbles in his chest when Jaemin looks at him isn't unwelcome. 

Jaemin is still making his way through what seems to be his second coffee, if the way there's another empty one on the corner of his table is anything to go by. He also still has his books and pens laying around, and his eyebrows are furrowed as he skims through a page of what seems like an article. 

Jeno assumes he's busy with school work, so he busies himself for the time being by actually working, serving some customers and organizing the coffee stations. It's rather slow at this time, late at night. The closing shift is 8:00pm to 1:00am, the time the café officially closes. 

Jeno doesn't mind the shift, given the quiet and calm atmosphere of the space. The only thing that gets to him a bit is the lack of sleep, since by the time he makes it back to his apartment, it's almost two in the morning.

Jeno doesn't get a chance to talk to Jaemin until almost closing, seeing as every time he looked over to his table, Jaemin would be writing something down, typing something up, or skimming through a book, and Jeno was too nervous to interrupt his study time. Plus, Jaemin was cute while he was in the zone, face scrunched cutely when he didn't understand something, and tongue poking out of his mouth when he was concentrating very hard on a task. 

All in all, Jeno thinks Jaemin is too cute for this world, and doesn't know how someone as ethereal as Jaemin walks freely amongst everyone else's mediocre selves. 

"Hi Jaemin!" Jeno greets, just a bit too perky for someone who's still working despite it being past 12:00am. "Working hard?" He teases, eyeing the messy table amusedly. Jaemin has his papers strewn everywhere, has his pens and highlighters laying around, some without a cap, some with a cap. He also has one or two books open, and his laptop open on one side of the table. Jaemin looks a bit tired, actually, a lot tired if Jeno's being honest, and it only somewhat gets to him. The sunken look on Jaemin's face and the evident exhaustion doesn't suit him, but there's not much he can do yet. 

Instead, he does what he's always been good at: poking jokes to lighten the mood. 

"Do you always stay until closing? Are you a night owl or something?" Jeno ask, hoping to get one of those small smiles form Jaemin that he likes so much. 

And when he does, his stomach does a backflip. 

"Something like that," Jaemin answers, looking up at Jeno with his head tilted to the side. "I've never seen you working this late." He notes, and Jeno has to will his brain to calm down. What Jaemin said, does it imply that he was looking for Jeno every time he came in? If he noticed that Jeno is working the night shift, then it means that he noticed that he wasn't working the other night shifts. Which means Jaemin looks for him, right? 

Or, he could be delusional, but it's too late to think about the negatives, and Jeno would much rather stick to the positives. 

"I owe a coworker," Jeno explains roughly. "Asked me to take his closing shifts for a month." He shrugs, as if it was no big deal. Jaemin didn't need to know he thinks about wringing Renjun's neck whenever he steps into his apartment later than he'd like to. 

"Must've been hell of a favour," Jaemin giggles a bit, and Jeno, for real, he swears, his heart stutters in his chest. He's never, never heard a sound more beautiful. Jaemin's giggle is so sweet and so Jaemin that it makes Jeno's head spin and heart squeeze. 

He almost wants to tell Jaemin that yeah, it was a hell of a favour since it was about him, but he'd much rather not have the other think he was crazy and then probably ruin what little relationship they have. 

Instead, Jeno motions his head towards all of Jaemin's supplies scattered along the table. 

"You go to school nearby?" He asks. 

"Yeah, the university here. You?" He answers easily, and Jeno thinks it's a stark contrast from their previous conversations. It's not unwelcome, but Jeno wonders what the sudden shift was. Maybe it was the way Jaemin's already had two of his death drinks, as Jeno endearingly calls it, and the after effects of the caffeine are probably getting to him. Either way, he doesn't mind the way Jaemin is more responsive, finding himself loving the melody that is Jaemin's voice. 

"Me too. Weird I've never seen you around." Jeno frowns. "What's your major?"

"Literature," Jaemin answers. "And you?"

"Architecture. Makes sense I guess, two different departments." Jeno hums, looking around the café once to see if anything needed his attention.

"Oh. I'm sorry, am I keeping you?" Jaemin asks softly, eyes overflowing with concern and Jeno wants to pinch his cheeks at the way he naturally pouts. 

"Not at all," Jeno admits, honestly. "It's quite boring this time round. You're good company." Jeno smiles, catching the way the slightest bit of pink crawls into Jaemin's cheeks. Although, he really hope it isn't the lighting or the way his lack of sleep is getting to him. 

"I do." Jaemin blurts out, startling Jeno with the way his eyes widen. Jaemin goes back to his stuff, putting his supplies away and folding his books closed. "Stay until closing, I mean." He specifies. Jeno nods in comprehension. 

"That's good to know." Jeno smiles, and he means it. If Jaemin stays during closing, then that means that every closing shift Jeno works, there's a high probability that he'll be seeing Jaemin. And if Jaemin is always this talkative, two death drinks in and past midnight, Jeno doesn't mind having these little conversation breaks. 

They make his day more than he'd like to admit, but can't find it in himself to stop anything from flourishing. Jeno believes that the most beautiful things in life come from nature, and when people don't interfere and let things happen the way they're supposed to. 

Jeno feels the same way about him and Jaemin. If he doesn't meddle, and simply bees himself, then everything should turn out smoothly. 

So Jeno walks Jaemin to the café door, as unnecessary as it is. He also really wants to walk Jaemin home, but his shift isn't over, and he still has to do inventory and all that horrendous stuff before he can lock up and leave. 

So he bids Jaemin goodnight, smiles once more brightly at the boy, and watches how he disappears off into the night, leaving Jeno with an almost empty café and an equally as tired coworker. 

He wishes that he could've left with Jaemin. 

——

Surprisingly, the next time Jeno bumps into Jaemin, it's not at the café during another one of his shifts. 

Instead, it's on campus. 

Jeno thinks it's kind of ironic, how they were talking about not seeing each other on campus a few days ago, and now seeing each other out of the blue. Not that Jeno is complaining, he'd never complain about seeing Jaemin's beautiful face. 

"Jaemin?" Jeno calls out, startling the other boy, a given by the way he freezes, looking around for the voice that called his name. Jeno decides that he needs to stop surprising Jaemin with the way he calls for him. 

Jeno jogs up to where Jaemin is still looking around confused, like a lost puppy. Jeno curses his mind for putting the mental image of Jaemin as a puppy into his head. 

"Hi." Jeno greets, smiling at Jaemin. He's never really stood next to the other boy, always having only seen him sitting down. Now next to him though, Jeno concludes that he only has a half inch advantage on him. 

"Oh." Jaemin says, eyes wide and frantic, looking around as if he was searching for something. This makes Jeno think that maybe he shouldn't have went up to Jaemin, what if he was in the middle of something? Meeting someone? Jeno doesn't know, but can feel the bubbles in his chest dissipate at Jaemin not looking at him yet. "Hi Jeno." He still greets him, but the way he isn't looking at him doesn't sit well with Jeno.

"Did I bother you?" Jeno ends up asking, never one to beat around the bush. He's straightforward, doesn't see the point in wasting time when it was so valuable. And this Jaemin is so different from the one he talked to last time at the café, the one who was talkative and wasn't weary at all.

However, the more Jeno thinks about it, the more he realizes he doesn't know much about Jaemin outside of the café, and vice versa. Maybe he really was interrupting something the other was doing. 

"What? N-No, you're not," Jaemin assures, shaking his head at Jeno, as if solidifying the point. "It's just— I'm—"

"Oh look. Na Jaemin?" 

Jaemin flinches at the sound of the voice, and as if it were a habit, he hides behind Jeno, seeming to make himself smaller against his back.

Jeno is very confused. 

The boy who had called Jaemin's name comes closer, and completely ignores Jeno in favour of looking over his shoulder at Jaemin. 

"Already got another one? What, can't go a week without someone's dick in your mouth?" 

Even Jeno flinches at those words, feeling anger start to slowly, but surely, bubble up in his chest. Who does this boy think he is to talk to Jaemin? Like that? 

Jeno clears his throat, squaring his shoulders and looking the boy in front of him in the eyes. 

"I don't know who you are, but I wouldn't talk to Jaemin like that." He says confidently, glaring as the stranger makes eye contact with him. He can't gage at anything off of his face, but sees that they shift into something darker before darting back to look at Jaemin. Jeno wishes he'd keep his eyes off of him. 

"Now you got people speaking for you? Just admit that you're a whore—"

"Stop." Jeno cuts in, voice lower than Jaemin's ever heard it. It also sounds darker than usual and Jaemin is so glad that he's not on the receiving end of the malice in Jeno's tone. "Leave him alone."

"Or what?" The boy asks, taunting as he takes a step closer to Jeno. 

"Or I'll sock you into next Tuesday." Jeno threatens, keeping his voice even and cold, flexing his knuckles for extra emphasis. He doesn't normally resort to violence, never if he's being honest, but Jeno can already catch the vibe that this boy in giving off, and something tells him a fist fight is normally how he settles things. 

"You think I'm scared of you—"

"Jeno?" 

Jeno doesn't turn around, doesn't want to let the boy have an open with Jaemin. Nonetheless, his eyes flicker over to where the voice had come from, and he sees his best friend, and roommate, Mark walk up to them, eyebrows furrowed in concern. 

This, Jeno decides, is the perfect threat. 

"You may not be scared of me," Jeno announces, gaze once again coldly locked onto the boy in front of him. "But this is Mark. Mark Lee, my best friend, who just so happens to be son of the Dean," Jeno announces, eyebrow quirked up. "So I suggest you never bother Jaemin again, unless you want to have a lovely chat with him." 

"You'd lose," the boy scoffs, trying to okay cool. But Jeno can clearly tell that he's affected by the words, if the way his gaze is shaky is anything to go by. 

"Would I? There's one, two, three witnesses here. And who's there to back you up?" Jeno asks, tilting his head to the side innocently. "Harassment doesn't fly here." Jeno spits.

The boy doesn't say anything, simply glares at Jeno, at Mark, and at Jaemin before turning away and cursing them under his breath.

Once Jeno deems him out of earshot and out of their general vicinity, he finally turns to Mark, who looks equal parts confused and angry.

"Sorry man, I didn't mean to out you on that. He's just some dickhead who needed to be put in his place," Jeno sighs, sending an apologetic smile Mark's way. 

"It's cool, but um..." Mark looks hesitant, briefly glancing over Jeno's shoulder. "Is your friend okay?"

At that, Jeno remembers that Jaemin is behind him. His eyes widen. and he's turning around just to see Jaemin's eyes downcast, biting his lip.

"Hey," Jeno calls softly, crouching down a bit to look into Jaemin's eyes. "Who was that?"

Jaemin doesn't answer for a while, and Jeno doesn't mind. He doesn't know the extent of what just happened, so he can't assume Jaemin will just be fine after that confrontation. 

"My ex," Jaemin finally mumbles after some time, also looking up slowly to see Jeno. "I couldn't get rid of him for the longest. T-Thank you Jeno." Jaemin smiles, and it's small, but it's something and it still makes Jeno's heart warm. 

"It's alright. He won't bother you anymore, okay?" He assures, voice still gentle as he speaks. He doesn't know what comes over him, maybe it's the tenderness of the situation or the newfound connection of their relationship through what just happened, but Jeno finds himself patting Jaemin's head, internally smiling at the way the latter's cheeks dust themselves into a soft pink. It matches his hair. "Don't worry."

Jaemin nods, a bit more shy than Jeno has ever seen him, and he takes pride in being the person responsible for how flustered he is. 

Oh Jaemin. 

Jeno hopes he feels even a fraction of what he does. 

—— 

Unsurprisingly, Jeno starts bumping into Jaemin more and more on campus. They've even started getting lunch once in a while, and Jeno can't help but feel like they're growing into being a pair of friends. 

He guesses it's because there's no more stress on his back caused by his ex, seeing as he's now taken care of. Jeno's glad Jaemin can breathe easier now, is glad that he's almost always like the Jaemin that was talkative and bubbly at the café. That's when Jeno thinks Jaemin shines the most. When he's comfortable in his own skin. It's a beautiful thing, and Jeno is oh so glad that Jaemin gets to experience it too. 

However, his thoughts still spin in his head, and his curiosity is killing him. So he brings it up one day, just clear his doubts to make sure there's no miscommunication going on between them. That's all it takes for things to fall apart, normally. 

"Jaemin?" He calls, internally cooing at his Jaemin looks up at him with his mouth stuffed with rice. His cheeks puffed and eyes wide, Jeno thinks Jaemin looks like a bunny. "We're friends, right?" 

Jaemin seems to freeze at the question, his chewing coming to a complete halt. 

Jeno let's the silence string on between them, something he's noticing he lets happen often. He guesses that Jaemin is the type of person who mulls things over before he speaks, and Jeno can't say he hates it. It just means that Jaemin is always thinking of the best thing to say, always cautious with how he words his thoughts. Jeno actually finds it kind of endearing, knowing that Jaemin takes the time to make sure he says the right thing. 

Soon enough, Jaemin is back to chewing, swallowing his mouthful before clearing his throat. 

"Um. I thought we were... I don't..." 

It looks like it's hard for Jaemin to get the words out, so Jeno doesn't rush it. 

"You don't have to explain anything if you don't want to." Jeno assures, soft with the way he lets Jaemin know that's it's okay. 

"No, it's not that. I'm just a bit embarrassed honestly," Jaemin admits, sheepish with the way he speaks. Pink blossoms onto his cheeks once more, and Jeno is completely enamoured. 

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about around me," Jeno laughs. "I think I've embarrassed myself plenty around you. Enough for the both of us." He jokes, glad to see his efforts resulted in Jaemin smiling a little. 

"Well... I just really have one friend." Jaemin winces as he let's the statement out. "He's been around since high school, he's my roommate too. So um... I'm sorry if I don't really do this whole friendship thing the right way." He admits, smiling apologetically. 

Jeno, however, can only focus on one thing. 

"Thank you for letting me be your friend, Jaemin." He smiles. 

Jaemin's blush gets darker. 

"N-No problem."

——

Jeno ends up meeting said friend only a week later. 

They're both at the library, when someone sneaks up behind Jaemin and scares him. Jaemin yelps, Jeno thinks it shouldn't sound as cute as it did, and he giggles despite Jaemin looking like he could kill him for laughing at his misfortune. Jeno knows it isn't true. 

"Good morning," Jaemin's friend sing songs, grabbing a seat next to him. "This is why you left me so early in the morning? To hang out with Lee Jeno?" 

Jeno's surprised that he knows his name, and is unable to mask it as his eyes widen. Jaemin seems surprised too, if the way his eyes are practically bulging out of their sockets is anything to go by. 

"You know him?" Jaemin shrieks at the same time Jeno calmly asks, "How do you know me?"

Jaemin's friend seems to smirk at the both of them, before turning his full attention onto Jeno. The mischievous smile on the other's face doesn't sit well with Jeno, who's squirming just a bit too uncomfortably in his seat. It's as if the boy knows him, as if he thinks that looking at Jeno long enough will prompt the latter to remember something. 

Unfortunately, he doesn't. 

"I fucked your best friend." Is what Jaemin's friend finally settles on saying, smug smirk never leaving his face. 

"Donghyuck!" Jaemin chastises, looking between Jeno and his friend, who's name is apparently Donghyuck. He looks flustered, as if he were the one embarrassed by Donghyuck's words and not Donghyuck himself. 

But as Jaemin says his name, now it rings a bell in Jeno's head. 

Specifically, a bell he didn't want to remember. 

"Oh. Yeah, I remember you," Jeno winces, scrunching his nose as he looks at Donghyuck. "More specifically... I remember Mark screaming your name." 

Jeno guesses he fuels Donghyuck's ego at that, seeing as the latter cackles loudly. 

"Oh my God," Jaemin whispers, seeming mortified at the conversation going down between the two of them. "Are you shameless? While Mark's roommate was home, really?" Jaemin asks, as if scolding Donghyuck. 

Despite the topic they're talking about, Jeno thinks Jaemin is cute when he's berating Donghyuck. 

"What did you want me to do? Not tap that?" He snorts, and Jaemin seems even more scandalized at how nonchalantly Donghyuck is talking about this. 

"Please talk about something else." Jaemin ends up muttering, seeming to have given up on trying to tame Donghyuck. Jeno would've too, with what of Donghyuck's laid back 'I don't give a fuck' attitude he's picking up on. 

"Sure," Donghyuck agrees, turning to Jeno once again. "Hi, I'm Lee Donghyuck. Nice to meet you, Jaemin's official second friend." He smiles, extending a hand for Jeno to shake. Jeno thinks they're way past formalities, but shakes the outstretched hand nonetheless. 

"Oh my God," Jaemin groans again, hiding his face in his books. Before it's completely covered, Jeno catches the pink hue. "I didn't mean embarrass me!" 

"What do you mean embarrass?" Donghyuck gasps, as if offended by what Jaemin had said. "I'm just seeing if this new friend is worthy enough. Best friend duties, you know?" 

Jaemin stays silent, deciding to ignore Donghyuck and Jeno as they chat it up, since it's mainly Donghyuck exposing embarrassing stories about Jaemin. He doesn't know how this type of conversation is going to deem if Jeno is worthy enough of not, but he doesn't interfere in fear of Donghyuck saying something really embarrassing. 

"I like this one Nana." Donghyuck hums ten or some minutes later. 

"I didn't ask for your stamp of approval,"  
Jaemin bites back, throwing a pen at him. 

"Well, you got it anyways." Donghyuck winks at Jaemin, resulting in the latter smacking his arm, and Jeno raising an eyebrow. He doesn't question it, relationships between best friends are always intimate, and sometimes weird. Either way, Jeno doesn't judge. "I gotta head off to my next class, but I'll see you at home later?" Donghyuck asks, getting up from his seat and tucking the chair back in. When Jaemin nods at Donghyuck's question, he ruffles the other's hair and turns to Jeno. "Expect to see more of me as well." 

Jeno catches the implication, and has to will himself not to gag. 

Donghyuck waves a final goodbye to the both of them, leaving Jaemin and Jeno in silence. 

Jaemin is the first to break it, sighing as he puts his book down. 

"I know Donghyuck can be... Boisterous? I guess, but he's really nice once he drops the funny guy act," Jaemin insists. "I'm sorry if he scared you off."

"None of that, Jaemin," Jeno tsks, shaking his head and carefully reaching for Jaemin's hand over the table. Perhaps the confidence from Donghyuck had rubbed off on him, seeing as he doesn't know what came over him. Whatever it is though, it isn't unwelcome. Especially with the way Jaemin lets him hold his hand. "Might I ask though? How'd you two meet? You both seem... Contrasting." 

Jaemin giggles a bit at that, sitting up a bit straighter. 

"I didn't have a lot of friends in middle school, meaning they I had no one to transfer to high school. Donghyuck didn't go to my middle school, so he put himself in my life," Jaemin explains, seeming a bit fond as he recounts the story. "He was... A lot when I first met him, but I'm really thankful he insisted on being my friend. I don't know how my life would be without him."

Jeno can tell Donghyuck means a lot of Jaemin, despite how incompatible they may seem. It's clear that Jaemin holds Donghyuck close to his heart, and he can only hope that one day, Jeno earns a spot just as close. Even closer, maybe. 

"It's nice to know you have someone to cherish," Jeno notes, smiling sweetly when Jaemin looks at him. "You guys seem like you have a lot of fun." 

"I mean, it's just the two of us," Jaemin laughs. Jeno doesn't think he'll ever get tired of hearing it. "How much fun can it be?" 

Jeno shrugs.

"It's always fun when you're with someone you love," he easily says, believing his words. 

"I guess," Jaemin whispers, staring at Jeno a bit more intensely. Jeno doesn't mind, just reciprocates Jaemin's intense look for a softer smile. When Jaemin opens his mouth to speak again, he feels him hold onto his hand a bit tighter. "I have fun with you." 

Jeno can't stop his mind from going through all the implications of what Jaemin's statement could mean, so he pushes it to the back of his mind for now. Jaemin seemed nervous to say that, so Jeno focuses on assuring him for now. 

"I always have fun with you too."

——

Jaemin and Jeno's relationship progresses kind of quickly after their encounter with Donghyuck. 

It gave Donghyuck a reason to visit Jeno's apartment with Mark more often, despite Jeno knowing his true intentions towards coming over. In turn, he often invites Jeno and Mark to hang out at his and Jaemin's apartment, which is how they find themselves becoming a group that hangs out quite frequently. 

It leads them to their current situation, playing never have I ever while a Disney movie plays in the background of Jaemin and Donghyuck's living room. Jaemin has chosen the movie, it's The Lion King. Donghyuck had whispered to him that it was Jaemin's favourite Disney movie, and Jeno thankfully tucks the tidbit of information into the corner of his brain. 

"Jaemin? It's your turn." Mark calls, snapping Jaemin out of the scene he was watching. 

"Oh. Um. Okay," he fumbles, taking a moment to think about what to say. "Never have I ever had a drink before turning legal."

All but Jaemin's finger goes down. 

"Really?" Jaemin asks Jeno, eyes wide, as if he couldn't believe Jeno would do such a thing. 

Sheepish, Jeno rubs the back of his neck. 

"Yeah. Parents were out of town, called Mark over for a sleepover. Adrenaline I guess." He shrugs "High school's weird."

"Ditto." Mark agrees, about to say his statement, but Donghyuck cuts in before he can. 

"So Mark's a bad influence, huh?" He teases, smirking at the way Mark's mouth gapes open in offence. "Guess I could see that." 

"Never have I ever spit in someone's mouth!" Mark rushes out, clearly flustered as he tries to change the subject, putting a finger down for Donghyuck instead of waiting for the latter to do it himself. 

"Never have I ever been the one who's mouth was being spit in." Jeno says, already catching onto what Mark was saying. This time Donghyuck puts a finger down for Mark instead of waiting for the latter to do it himself, smirking at the embarrassed flush which crawls up Mark's neck. 

"This is ridiculous," Mark huffs. "Jaemin's questions are so cute, what's wrong with you guys." He groans. 

"Markie sweetie, you brought this on yourself," Donghyuck chastised. "Jaemin! Your turn."

There's a glint in Jaemin's eye, and Jeno doesn't know why he finds it so intriguing. Probably because he doesn't know what Jaemin has up his sleeve, but if he's being honest, he never does. Either way, Jeno is anticipating what Jaemin has to say. 

But he admits, he's a bit scared when he sees Jaemin smirk a tiny bit at Mark, who's sitting in front him. Maybe Mark would notice if he wasn't busy staring at Donghyuck. 

"Never have I ever romantically liked the person to my right." 

Donghyuck's eyes bulge out, as well as Jeno's. The former is quick to look at Mark, who's mouth is, once again, gaping open. He's staring at Jaemin with shock on his face, but it all disappears when he processes what Jaemin had said. 

Squeezing his eyes shut, Mark quickly puts his final finger down.

"I lost!" He blurts out, and from his right, he sees Jaemin try to hold in his laughter. "Well—"

"Mark Lee." Donghyuck says, and Jeno wants to laugh at how scared Mark looks. But he knows the latter wouldn't appreciate if, so he keeps it shut for the time being. Instead, he watches Donghyuck get up from his seat, only to sit on Mark's other side. He makes sure they keep eye contact the whole time, and Jeno watches as Mark practically loses his mind when Donghyuck puts a finger down. 

"Oh my God—" Mark starts, frantic, only to be cut off by Donghyuck kissing him. 

From his right, Jeno sees Jaemin clapping his hands contently, squealing a bit at the sight in front of him. 

"Yay! I'm so happy for you two!" He cheers, finally turning to Jeno. With his bright smile, his sparkling eyes and and glowing face, Jeno decides to fuck it. 

He makes sure Jaemin is looking at him as he brings his hand up, right in between their faces, and puts a finger down. 

At first, Jaemin is confused, that much is clear by the way he tilts his head to the sound confusedly, and Jeno really wants to kiss his cheek at that. Instead, he keeps his own eyes focused on Jaemin, realizing he's already in too deep to back out. If he was going to make things awkward, he was going to make things awkward the right way. By being honest. 

So he watches, slowly, as realization dawns onto Jaemin's face. Watches how his mouth parts and how his eyes are staring at Jeno. Watches how the pieces click together in his brain, and finally, thankfully, watches how a smile sets itself onto his lips. 

"Me too," he whispers, bashfully looking down at his lap, as if he became shy after the revelation. But Jeno hears him clear his throat, watches him look up again a bit more confidently, and beams when Jaemin says his next words. "I like you too." 

Jeno seems to forget that there were other people in the room with them, but the cheers that Donghyuck and Mark burst into seem to remind him, and Jaemin, about their presence. 

They both flinch, before shy smiles take over their faces. They're looking at each other again, and Jeno makes the move to hold onto the other's hand. 

"Good. Because I like you a lot."

——

They never really go on a date after their confessions. Instead, they act as if nothing happened. 

And Jeno doesn't hate it, not when he has free reign to kiss at Jaemin's cheeks and hold his hands whenever. There was an obvious shift in their relationship, despite there not being a label. Jeno didn't want to rush Jaemin into anything, especially when he found out the details of his last relationship. The one where his jackass of an ex came from. 

But it's okay, because right now, Jaemin is in his kitchen making them hot chocolate, and Jeno is setting up a movie on his laptop. And yeah, they might've not said it explicitly, but their little hangouts have been dates. They teeter on the edge of being friends and being more, and when Jaemin kisses his cheek when he sees him at the beginning of the 'hangouts' and before leaving him at the end, Jeno thinks that they're definitely little indoor dates. 

"Come sit." Jeno pats the spot next to him when Jaemin comes back into his room with two mugs. He takes one from Jaemin, and the latter climbs under the blanket with Jeno once he puts his own mug on the bedside table. 

"What're we watching?" Jaemin asks, grabbing Jeno's hand under the blanket, almost as if it were instinct. Jeno can't say he hates the idea of Jaemin thinking of it as an instinct. 

"The Little Mermaid."

So they watch in relative silence, making comments here and there. At some point Jaemin's head ends up tucked under his chin, and he doesn't mind at all seeing as he gets to play with his pink hair now. 

Near the end of the movie, when Ariel and Prince Eric are getting married, Jeno thinks he hears Jaemin sniffle.

"Nana? Are you crying?" Jeno asks, unable to hide the amusement in his tone. He sits up a bit, resulting in Jaemin also sitting up a little. When the younger finally faces Jeno, his eyes are teary and e  
he has a big pout on his face. "Aw," Jeno coos. "What's so sad, hm? They're married Jaemin!" Jeno chuckles, using his two hands to cup Jaemin's cheek and wipe his tears away. 

"King Triton loves Ariel so much," Jaemin says, sniffling a bit between words. "He let her marry a human and leave the ocean." He huffs. 

"Jaemin." Jeno says. "You're so cute." And with that, he tackles Jaemin onto his back, smothering him in a hug. 

"Ugh, Jeno you're heavy," Jaemin complains, but makes no active effort to get Jeno off of him. On the contrary, he brings his arms up to hug around Jeno's waist instead. Jeno tries not to feel too smug about it. 

He pushes himself onto his elbows, looking at Jaemin from above. He looks even more stunning this close up, with pink hair fanning out beneath him, eyes that sparkle with warmth and wonder, eyelashes that kiss the highs of his cheeks and a nose which Jeno wants to boop all day long. He doesn't know when he got so soft for Jaemin, but he doesn't care in the slightest. 

Unintentionally, Jeno's eyes flicker down to Jaemin's lips, and he's quick to catch himself. But he knows Jaemin caught it too, if the way his own eyes flicker down to Jeno's lips is anything to go by. He's just a bit embarrassed, and makes his way to get off of Jaemin, but the latter's arms tighten around his waist keeping him there. 

"You can..." Jaemin trails off, looking Jeno in the eyes and nodding his head. "Kiss me. You can kiss me." Jaemin assures. Jeno doesn't say anything, doesn't do anything either, and Jaemin can feel just the tiniest bit of anxiety bubble in his chest. "Please kiss me." 

And Jeno can't deny Jaemin, not when he's looking at him like that and asked so nicely. So he bends down and presses their lips together gently, closing his eyes when he hears Jaemin's breath hitch again. 

They stay like that for a while, until Jaemin snaps out of it and softly kisses Jeno back. At that, Jeno finds himself smiling into the kiss, hand coming up to cup Jaemin's face. 

He pulls away after that, watching with adoration overflowing, as Jaemin flutters his eyes open. His cheeks are, as always, pink, and he smiles timidly up at Jeno. 

"Jaemin," Jeno calls, brushing away the bangs which have fallen into his eyes. "Do you wanna be my boyfriend?"

Jeno is somewhat afraid that he's crossed a line. The line of waiting for Jaemin to make the first move. The line of respecting the pace Jaemin wants to go at, the line of letting Jaemin choose what he wants to do, and when he wants to do it. 

But laying here, with the most beautiful boy he's ever seen underneath him, Jeno couldn't keep the words from slipping out. He wants Jaemin to be his boyfriend. To be someone he can show off to the world. To give him all his heart and love, he wants Jaemin to be his person. And it'd mean the world to Jeno if Jaemin would let him be his person. 

"Really?" Is what Jaemin ends up asking. as if seeking confirmation to Jeno's question. 

"Really." Jeno nods, soft as he leans down to kiss the corner of Jaemin's mouth. "It'd make me really happy, if I could be your boyfriend." 

"Okay." Jaemin says, tilting his head to the side and capturing Jeno's lips within his own. "I'll be your boyfriend."

——

The next time Jeno sees Renjun, he's smiling ear to ear. 

"Renjun!" He cheers, hugging the smaller boy so tight, that Renjun hits his back and complains about not being able to breathe. "You are the best!" 

Once Renjun is back on the ground, he squints his eyes at Jeno, putting his hands on his hips.

"What're you going on about?" He asks, skeptical as he eyes the other boy.

“Because of me covering your stupid closing shifts, I got a boyfriend!” Jeno announces, smiling brighter than Renjun’s ever seen. 

“You’re kidding,” Renjun deadpans, tone in disbelief as he stares at Jeno. “I wanted to give you misfortune, and you’re telling me I gave you a boyfriend?” He shrieks, exasperated at the revelation. 

Jeno simply sticks his tongue out immaturely. 

“Thank you Renjun~” He sings, prancing around the kitchen. 

Renjun settles on one thing. 

He hates Jeno. 

——

“Jaemin?”

“Hm?”

“Thank you for letting me be your friend,” Jeno sighs, leaning his head down to touch it to Jaemin’s. 

“I think we’re more than friends at this point, Nono.” Jaemin giggles, pecking the other’s cheek. 

“You didn’t let me finish,” Jeno sighs, sitting up a bit straighter and sitting Jaemin in his lap. “Thank you for letting me be your friend. Thank you for letting me hold your hand. Thank you for letting me kiss you. And thank you, Na Jaemin, for letting me be your boyfriend.” Jeno finishes with a slow kiss to Jaemin’s lips, pushing all his love and heart through the action. “I love you.”

Heart warmed by the Jeno’s little speech, Jaemin brings his two hands up  
to cup Jeno’s face, preparing his own little speech.

“My turn,” he whispers, looking Jeno in his eyes. “Thank you, Jeno for bringing me that cupcake. Thank you for talking to me. Thank you for sticking up for me. Thank you for being my friend. Thank you for being my boyfriend.” Jaemin also finishes with a kiss to Jeno’s lips. “I love you.”

Jeno smiles, hugging Jaemin close to his chest. 

He won’t ever let this boy go. His precious boy.


End file.
